Brazilian Bombshells

Lima is of African, Native South American and Swiss descent.She was born in the northeastern coastal town of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil on June 12, 1981. Her father, from whom she was estranged for most of her life, is Nelson Torres, and her mother, Maria da Graça Lima, was a social worker who gave birth to Lima at the age of 18.Lima revealed that her father walked out on her family when she was six months old,[citation needed] but has been making recent attempts to reconcile.In late 2007, Lima revealed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that although she is her mother's only child, she has two half brothers, aged 7 and 11, from her father's second marriage.Coming from a poor family, her first time leaving her country and first time on a plane was when she was 15.She was raised mainly by her mother and grandmother.

Adriana Lima rose to stardom out of less than glamorous conditions. Lima was discovered while shopping at a local mall at the age of 13. At the age of 15, she finished 1st place in a Ford Supermodel of Brazil model search. Lima later followed with a 2nd place finish in the 1996 Ford Supermodel of the World contest.

Shortly after, Lima moved to New York City, and eventually moved on from Ford, signing with Elite Model Management. Her early career consisted mostly of fashion editorial work (with early appearances in international editions of Vogue and Marie Claire in 1997/1998), as well as runway work (Christian Lacroix, Valentino, and others). Lima's first big break came when she was featured in a Vassarette billboard in Times Square. Her print career followed, and like many other famous names (Claudia Schiffer, Laetitia Casta, Eva Herzigova), Lima became a GUESS? Girl in their 2000 Costanoa campaign.

Lima continued to build upon her entry, doing more print work (Maybelline, bebe, Mossimo, BCBG) and gracing the cover and editorials of more high fashion magazines (Harper's Bazaar, ELLE). Probably best known for her Victoria's Secret work and Angel status (along with Heidi Klum and Gisele), Lima first graced the VS runway in 2000, and was the show opener for the 2003 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Alessandra Ambrosio (born April 11, 1981).Ambrosio is a prominent model for Guess?, Victoria's Secret and the UK company Next. She is one of several Brazilian models that became known in the late 1990s along with Gisele Bundchen, Adriana Lima and Ambrosio's best friend Ana Beatriz Barros. Born in Erechim, a small town in southern Brazil, Ambrosio enrolled in a modeling class as a teen. She subsequently entered the Elite modeling agency's 1996 "Look of the Year" modeling competition. Though she did not win, one year later she was offered an Elite modeling contract.

Her first big modeling job was the cover of the Brazilian Elle magazine, and then Alessandra followed with other "editorial" work. It was not long after that the Guess? company signed her for their fall 2000 campaign. Ambrosio's print career began as a Guess? model and continued with Revlon and Victoria's Secret. She modeled on the Victoria's Secret runway for the first time in 2000, and she continued to be a participant in the subsequent shows. In 2004 Ambrosio was selected as the first spokesmodel for Victoria's Secret Pink line.

Ana Beatriz Barros (born May 29, 1982 in Itabira, Minas Gerais, Brazil), she moved to Rio de Janeiro and grew up there.

She was discovered by the Director of Elite Model Management who was vacationing in Brazil. In 1998 she won the Brazilian Elite Look of the year and was placed second at the International Elite Look of the Year. Then she was given an offer by Guess? for which she is well known.
She has moved on to advertise for many of the world's most famous and exclusive labels, such as Victoria's Secret, Chanel cosmetics, and Jennifer Lopez's JLo fashion line. Barros has been in shows for the likes of Valentino, Missoni, Gucci, Christian Dior, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Michael Kors and many more prestigious fashion houses.

She has been on the cover of magazines such as Vogue, Marie Claire, Allure, Brazilian magazines such as Capricho and Audi, W, ELLE, in short, all of the top fashion mags.
She currently lives in New York and is now one of the world's foremost models, most notably for her extensive work in Victoria's Secret and Sports Illustrated.